Vortices, skyrmions, and chirality waves in frustrated Mott insulators with a quenched periodic array of impurities

Abstract

Finite-${\mathbf Q}$ magnetic instabilities are rather common in frustrated magnets. When the magnetic susceptibility is maximized at multiple-${\mathbf Q}$ vectors related through lattice symmetry operations, exotic magnetic orderings such as vortex and skyrmion crystals may follow. Here we show that a periodic array of nonmagnetic impurities, which can be realized through charge density wave ordering, leads to a rich phase diagram featuring a plethora of chiral magnetic phases, especially when there is a simple relation between the reciprocal vectors of the impurity superlattice and the magnetic ${\mathbf Q}$-vectors. We also investigate the effect of changing the impurity concentration or disturbing the impurity array with small quenched randomness. Alternative realizations of impurity superlattices are briefly discussed.

18 pages, 16 figures, 2 tables